Flow nipple



April y13 1926.

W. L, MCLAINE FLow NIPPLE Filed OCT'. 18, 1922 "Ill/l TOR:

TTQHNEK To 'azz )whom a i? PatentedlApr. 13, 1926 yuNrrlznfl STATES'vlPATENT lOFFICE.

WILLIAM Lfnemnrn, or LosANGELEs, cALrronNrA.

new NrrrLE.

Application led October i8, 1022. Serial No. 595,382.

concern.'

Beit known that W ILLIA'M L. AINE, a citizen of the United States,resrdmg at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Imprvement in Flow Nipples, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to oil wells and particularly to those wells whichflow naturally under considerable pressure. It has been found that wherethe ressurein the oil bearing formations is high the well can berevented from sanding up if this pressure 1s restrained and thewell notallowed to flow freely under the full pressure. `For the purpose ofallowing the well to flow, but of holding a considerable pressure on thewell,

the oil operators make a practice of inserting in the pi e lines leadingfrom the well, a member ca led a flow nipple which is in effect a solidbarof steel threaded on either end so that it can be coupled into thepipe line like an ordinary nipple, this bar having a small orificetherethrough which acts as a constriction, choking back the naturaltendency of the Well to flow and thus holding a pressure thereupon. Insome wells in California this pressure may amount to as much as 1500pounds per square inch and pressures of a few. hundred pounds per squareinch are not uncommon.

In the operation of these high pressure wells it is commonv toexperiment to determine just what size of orifice is the best, it notbeing uncommon to-find a well flowing as hi h as two or three thousandbarrels a day t rough a half inch or three quarter inch orifice. Slncemost of these wells carry some sand and they oil iows through the flownipples at a veryhigh velocity 1t is evident that considerable cuttingis bound to take place in the flow nipple even where, as is the comlmonpractice, they are made of very hard stee f It is therefore neceary tofrequently change these nozzles notfonly on account of the cutting butalso for the purpose of changing the size ofthe orifice. as conditionschauve at the well, wells on wh ple are provided with'heavy fittings, itis a somewhat diicult matter to take out the ilow nipple when it becomesworn and insert another.

It is an object of my invention to provide Since the largerv ich it isusual to use a flow nip-- a flow nipple which is so constructed that 1tcan be permanently secured in 4place in a flow 1 1ne but which is soconstructed that the size of orifice can, be very quickly changedwithout requiring the use of'heavy pipe tools and wrenches.'

It is a further ob'ect of my invention to I provide a flow nipp e inwhich the portion subjected to the cutting action of the oil 1s readilyremovable and which is so constructed that it is cheap to replace.

A still further object of my invention is.

to provide a flow nipple in which the removable member is so constructedthat it can be readily made and easily tempered and hardened.

Further objects and Aadvantages will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing which is for being cause by the naturalpressure of the gas and oil in the formations from which the oil isdrawn. 12 isa cross fitting into which tubing 11 is threaded and intowhich are also threaded a flow nipple 14:, a pipe Ilugl, and any sort ofa pipe or plug 16.

il 1s normally delivered through the flow nipple 14 .into .a collar 18.

The flow nip-ple 14 consists of an outer soft steel member 20 which isexternally threaded with standard pipe threads to fit into the cross 12and the collar 18, and which is internally bored to lit an inner member21. This 'memberj is made of tool steel, hardened and preferablyconsists of a cyiow line 17 through a lindrical body 22 and a conicalhead 23. The

head 23 bears and fits tightly in a conical portion of the bore of theouter member 20 and forms a gas and oil tight seal therein. 'lhe flow ofoil through the nipple being fromv left to right as shown in Fig. 1, itis evident that the natural gaspressure of the well seats the member 21tightly in the member 20, the oil flowing Vvthrough a hole 25 boredthrough the inner member 21.

This hole acts as a constriction on the flow of oil, and the` frictionon the oilyflowing i throiigh this constriction builds up the pressurein the well holding back the flow of oil and preventing sanding up ofthe Well.

When the hole becomes enlarged by the flow of the oil therethrough, orwhen it is desired to chanee the size of the orifice 25 for any purpose,the fiow of oilwis shut off by means of a valve, not shown,in the tubing11 below the flow nipple, or by any other convenient means, and the pipeplug 15 is removed from the cross fitting 12. It is thenpossible toreach into the cross fitting and insert a hooked Wire or otherconvenient meansinto the hole 25 and pull the inner member 2l out of itsseat in the member 20 and entirely outl of the cross fitting through thehole normally closed by the pipe plug 15. It is also possible to inserta new inner member 21 having a hole 25 of any convenient size and afterthe plug 15 has been re-l placed the well can again be put onproduction.

I Aclaim as my invention:

l. A fiow nipple for oil wells comprising: an outer member adapted to besecured in a flow line; and an inner member having a conical exteriorportion fitting in gas tight relationship in a conical portion of a holeextending longitudinally through said outer member, said inner memberhaving an opening extending longitudinally therethrough.

2. A flow nipple for oil wells comprising: an outer member adapted to besecured in a flow line; and an inner member fitting tightly in a holeextending longitudinally through said outer member, said inner memberhaving an opening extending longitudinally theretbrmifrh. said innermember having a conical exterior fitting into a conical hole in saidouter member, said conical exterior Yextending along only a portion ofthe lengthof said inner member.

3. A flow line assembly for an oil well comprising: .a tubing; a pipefitting having at least three openings therein, two of which are on thesame axis, the tubing being connected into a third opening which is upona different axis; means for closing one of said axial openings; and aflow nipple as described in claim 1 fitting into the other of said axialopenings.

4. A flow line assembly for an oil well comprising: a tubing; a pipefitting having' atleast three openings therein, two of which are on thesame axis, the tubing being con` nected into a third opening which isupon a different axis; means for closing one of said axialy openings;and a flow nipple as de` scribed in claim 1 fitting into the other ofsaid axial openings, the inner member of said flow nipple being soconstructed that it may be Withdrawn from said outer member through saidaxial openings.

5. A fiow nipple for oil wellsvr having a tapering bore and a taperingbushing adapted to be seated therein.

6. A flow nipple comprising: a body .member having a smoothlongitudinal' bore formed to provide a tapered seat at its inlet end;and a removable lining freely slidable axially into said bere in thedirection of flow to engage said seat.

In testimony whereof, have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 12th day'of 0ctober, 1922.

` WlLLliAM L'. MCLAINE.

